Container reinforcing harness and handle



July 13, 1965 E. s. TUPPER 3,194,461

CONTAINER REINFORCING HARNESS AND HANDLE Original Filed May 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO EA R1. 5. TUPPER July 13, 1965 E. s. TUPPER CONTAINER REINFORCING HARNESS AND HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 21, 1958 INVENTOR. AH s. TuPPEk BY .irraR/m' United States 3,194,461 CONTAINER REINFORCING HARNESS AND HANDLE Earl S. Tupper, Esmond, R.l., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Rexall Drug and Chemical Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application May 21, 1958, Ser. No. 736,756. Divided and this application May 15, 1962, Ser. No.

Claims. (Cl. 224-45) This application is a division of Tupper application Serial No. 736,756 filed May 21, 1958, which has matured into Patent No. 3,137,423.

This invention relates generally to an oriented and resiliently distortable configuration of plastic to serve as a removable harness for vessels of all types, said harness having vessel reinforcing elements and hand-engageable bail elements. The vessels include containers, bags, lunch and food kits, cans, all types of hand transportable carrying devices, packages and the like, and the harness and combination with any selective vessel are adapted for industrial, commercial, domestic and personal uses.

More specifically, the invention encompasses structures having frictionally fitting or other wise removable reinforcing resiliently distortable or yieldable framing elements for said vessels, said framing elements being provided with integrally and otherwisely formed hand grip, handle or bail extensions, said framingelements serving not only as mounting means for the said hand engaging members, but also as yieldable and resilient reinforcing means for the vessel walls.

In providing hand engaging members for supporting and transporting vessels of all types, many fabricating problems are met including economy of manufacture, structural design, efiiciency of operation, durability, capacity for load support, capacity to sustain unequal load distribution, capacity to resist distortion of the vessel walls, and reinforcement of areas of relative weakness. It is well recognized, moreover, that handles or other hand engageable means on vessels or the mounting means or trunnions therefor tend to be damaged or destroyed long before the basic vessel loses its utility. Such hand engageable members must also be provided with protective elements so as not to be a source of laceration or other injury to the hands. In addition, further problems are created by the use of handles accompanying such vessels in that overall dimensions thereof are increased thereby minimizing efficiency in the storing and stacking thereof and in that such handles aiford dangerous projections.

Although the invention herein applies to vessels made of any material, it is shown as applied to vessels molded or formed of resilient and yieldable plastic. Such vessel walls provide the removable mounting for reinforcing frames or bands having as integral extensions thereof hand engaging members for supporting and carrying pur poses, said bands or collars and hand engaging members being of resilient and yieldable plastic.

It is well known that handles for fabricated vessels of plastic give rise to strain on the vessel walls during support and carrying thereof especially at areas where vessel trunnions or equivalents thereof are used for the handle or bail mounting. In instances when metallic or other substantially non-yieldable collars or hands are used, the handles are usually attached for articulation or otherwise with the collar or band at the terminal portions thereof, and load distribution, whether equal or unequal, creates a distortion in the vessel walls by reason of the natural yieldabil-ity of said walls on each side of said relatively rigid bands. It is apparent that the effective value of such bands for reinforcement of the vessel walls is 3,194,461 Patented July 13, 1965 counterbalanced by the cutting effect thereof and the distortion producing strain of the vessel walls adjacent the bands.

Accordingly, an object of the invention herein is provision of a structural assembly comprising resilient and yieldable plastic frame or band elements adapted for frictional or removable fitting to vessels and also comprising hand grip or bail elements or members of preferably the same material suitably formed or molded with the said band elements or members as extensions thereof or otherwise and removable therewith. Thus, the re movable band elements or frame members singly or plurally serve both as reinforcing elements because of smaller or differential resiliency and yieldability with respect to the vessel walls, and as single or cooperating comfortable handle members or bails at the extended portions of said band elements or frame members.

Another object of the invention resides in said type of structure wherein a plurality of collar, band or frame members are used for disassembleable cooperation, and wherein the extensions thereof may cooperate to form a disassembleable compound type of bail or handle element.

Another object of the invention resides in said type of structure wherein one or more frame members have engaging elements for disassembleable cooperation and wherein the extension or bail elements thereof also are provided with engaging cooperating elements to form a disassembleable compound type of bail or handle element.

Further objects of the invention resides in the provision of removable plastic harness assemblies engageable with vessels and being formed in any selective configuration, but a configuration designed for frictional engagement with peripheral elements of the cooperating vessel. The configuration is preferably formed of runs having uniform or differential selective cross-sectional shapes and sizes. Such shapes and sizes include rounded, curved, elliptical, polygonal, rectangular, hollow, solid and other irregular forms.

The harness is formed by any suitable molding and fabricating procedure from a plastic material into the required configuration. A plastic which is inert, resiliently flexible and yieldable is preferred and includes the poly mers and copolymers of olefins such as the polyethylenes and the polypropylenes, the nylons, vinyls, blends or alloys of these and other plastics blended or otherwise having either intrinsic similar physical characteristics or so manufactured as to have such characteristics.

The molding or forming procedure gives the harness configuration an orientation for resilient distortability as a result of setting in mold cavities forming the said configuration.

The harness above mentioned is simple to apply and remove, is durable, lengthens the life of the vessel, adds aesthetic character thereto, is economical to manufacture, and is strong in use.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in the appended claims.

The drawings illustrate a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the invention assembled for operative position on a vessel shown in dotted outline.

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of the invention assembled for operative position on a vessel shown in perspective.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view in elevation of each of the disassembled elements of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a View in perspective of the invention as cover 111. The container shown, however, has been here tofore patented in the name of applicant herein as inventor under US. Pat. No. 2,752,970, dated July 3, 1956.

A cover 111 has an upstanding peripheral and inverted grooved edge 112, the outer wall of said grooved edge having an outwardly extending flange 113 which is adapted to cooperate with a top outwardly extending flange 114 from the upper edge of vessel 110, the vessel flange 11 1 being supported by buttress members .115 from the underside.

The two separable parts of assembly each furnishing a frame and hand-engageable element are best shown in FIGURE 3. Thus, one of the parts comprises a rectangularly shaped frame having a bottom run 116, opposing and similar side runs 117 and 119 having indented angular portions 118 and 121 respectively. This said part has a top run 121 with an ofiset portion intermediate the ends such as 122, said offset portion 122 having intermediate the ends thereof convergingangular walls 124 with a depending rounded loop 123 joining said walls. Top 1111112 serves as a handle element. The bottom run 116 of the said first part is provided with a pair of depending spaced teats or bottom legs near each end such as 126 and .127

and an intermediate pair of depending spaced teats 125 between which a bottom run 128 of the frame portion of a second part is engageable. The frame portion of the first described part is adapted to be introduced inside the frame portion ofthe second part and at right angles as seen in FIGURES 1-4 and the dimensions of the frame portions are suitably proportioned.

Thus the said run 128 forms the bottom of the frame portion of the second part and in addition there are opposite side runs 12% and 131, angular indentations 1341, 132 and a top run 133. Top run 133 has an intermediate and upwardly offset handle portion 134 which has a pair of depending, intermediate and spaced stop members 135 adapted to straddle the base of loop 123 (FEGURES 1 and 2) whereby handle portions 122 and 134 are prevented from sliding on one another. The bottom run .128 of the frame portion of the second part and at each end is provided with pairs of depending teats or bottom legs 136 and 137 respectively. The end teats or legs 126 and 127 of the frame portion of the first part and the similar structures 136 and 137 of the frame portion of the second part cooperate to form supporting legs so that when the harness assembly is applied to the vessel 110 no rocking of the vessel will take place. For this purpose pairs of legs 135 and 137 are preferably shorterthan 126 and 127 to compensate for the intersecting and overlying posoitions of bottom runs 116 and 128. a s

When the two frame portions are assembled as best seen in FIGURE 1 it will be noted that the loop 123 serves as a support for the middle part of handle member 134 and the teats 135 prevent axial displacement of handle part 134, while the pair of intermediate and spaced teats 125 on bottom run 116 of one frame portion prevents axial movement of bottom run 116 about the bottom run 128 of the other frame portion.

The assembled harness as shown in FIGURE 2 presents a combined reinforcing means at crossing peripheral planes of the vessel and at the same time the handle members 122 and 134 conjointly serve as means for hand engagement for carrying purposes.

The indented side runangular portions 118, 12% 139 and 132 have been formed as shown merely to create a friction fit if desired by virtue of the shape of'the eontainer; but the perimetric shape of the said frame portions may be varied to conform with required conditions of shape and usage of the container with and without cover.

4 The frame portions are disconnected very simply by applying opposite pressures on handle members 122 and 134 for separation thereof and the parts of the assembly are appropriately slipped off the container. Likewise, in applying the frame parts, the inner part is applied first across a pair of opposite sides of the vessel and the outer part is applied across the-opposite sides of the vessels, both of the parts being resiliently yieldable for fitting purposes. The assembly K may be applied to vessel 110 and cover 111 when the vessel and cover are in reverse-d position as shown in FIGURE 4. a

The harness assembly 'is oriented vin'configuration for resilient distortability by any suitable means such as'by the molding process or otherwise and all the runs of the configuration or at least at the framing element are resiliently yieldable or deformable to suitably adjust to the filling out of the vessel under load or to the support of the vessel in loaded or unloaded condition during suspension and carriage of the vessel from and by thehand-engageable element.

The framing element of the harness assembly functions for safe reinforcement of the vessel by reason of load concentration along at least the resiliently yieldable side and bottom runs, a suitable gauge of said runs being providedv to prevent rupture and at the same time to be yield'able to prevent cutting into the vessel walls and to prevent undue distortion of the vessel walls laterally of the runs. It is to be understood, too, that after the harness assembly is applied to a vessel, frictional engagement with the vessel walls need not take place until the vessel is suspended under load or otherwise. V

The vessel may be formed of the same or other variety of plastic as the framing element; or the vessel may be formed of non-plastic material.

The hand-engageable element of the harness assembly as shown in all the figures is formed with, resiliently connected to and is of the same material as the framing element; but it is understood that differential materials and other forms of mountingas between the framing element and the hand-engageable elementare feasible to effectuate the objects of the invention.

The harness assembly maybe in various uniform or different colors to add aesthetic .value to the harness assemblies and associated vessels, While selective configurations and selective'shapes and sizes in cross-section of the runs give combined grace, streamlining and character to the associated parts.

It is distinctly understood that all configurative sizes and shapes of the assembly, cross-sectional shapes and sizes of the runs thereof, variations in the means'of integration of parts, duplication of parts, equivalent plastic 7 materials used and different processes for fabricating the harness assembly and other minor changes and variations in the process and products described herein may all be resorted to without departing from'the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a container and a frame and handle assembly comprising:

(a) an enclosed container having upright side Walls,

a topwall and a bottom wall, l

(b) a first rod-like plastic elementcompletely encircling the container in a first vertical plane,

(0) a second rod-like plastic element completely encircling the container in a second vertical plane located substantially normal to and crossing the first vertical plane, and i ((1) each of said elements having a portionoffset outwardly from the container to provide a handle for carrying the container and assembly.

2.The combination according to claim 1 wherein said first element and'handle are located wholly in-said first vertical plane,,and,said second element'and handle are located wholly in said second vertical plane.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said first and second elements cross at their midpoints on the top and bottom of the container.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein:

(a) said offset portions on the first and second elements are located on the top of the container at the midpoints of the elements such that the handle is provided at the area where the elements cross each other.

5. The combination according to claim 1 including:

(a) small spaced protuberances on said first element,

one protuberance being located immediately adjacent each side of the point at which the elements cross to minimize shifting of the second element axially relative to the first element.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said offset portions are located at the point of crossing of the elements,

(b) one of the element offset portions having a slot at the point of crossing of the elements, and,

(c) a portion of the other element being snugly held in the slot at the point of crossing.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein:

(a) said other element has a small protuberance on each side of said element portion held within the slot, and

(b) said protuberance being in engagement with the opposite sides of said one element to minimize axial shifting of the other element relative to said one element.

8. The combination of a container and a frame and handle assembly comprising:

(a) a container having upright side walls and top and bottom walls closing off the upper and lower ends of the side walls,

(b) said container being generally polygonal in vertical cross section,

(c) said assembly being a continuous, rod-like, oriented, resiliently yieldable and distortable plastic element,

(d) said assembly including a pair of separate frames, each frame being a generally four-sided polygon having an inside vertical dimension substantially equal to the height of the container and an inside horizontal dimension substantially equal to the Width of the container,

(e) said frames being positionable on the container with the vertical dimension of the frames corresponding to the vertical dimension of the container,

(f) each of said frames being positioned on the container wholly in a vertical plane passing through the center of the container,

(g) one frame being located substantially normal to the other frame on the container,

(h) each frame intersecting the other frame above the top and below the bottom of the container and at about the midpoints of the top and bottom sides of said four-sided polygon, and

(i) a U-shaped handle integral With and centrally located on the top side of each of said four-sided polygons, the handles intersecting each other at about their midpoints.

9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein:

(a) one of said frames intersects and overlies the other frame on the container,

(b) said other frame having an upwardly opening slot at the midpoint of its upper side,

(c) the midpoint of the upper side of said one frame being snugly engaged within said slot when the frames are positioned on the container.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein:

(a) said other frame has a downwardly directed, in-

tegral, small protuberance on each side of the point of intersection of the frames and in engagement with the sides of said one frame at the point of intersection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, ERNEST A. FALLER,

Examiners. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A CONTAINER AND A FRAME AND HANDLE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: (A) AN ENCLOSED CONTAINER HAVING UPRIGHT SIDE WALLS, A TOP WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL, (B) A FIRST ROD-LIKE PLASTIC ELEMENT COMPLETELY ENCIRCLING THE CONTAINER IN A FIRST VERTICAL PLANE, (C) A SECOND ROD-LIKE PLASTIC EDLEMENT COMPLETLEY ENCIRCLING THE CONTAINER IN A SECOND VERTICAL PLANE LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO AND CROSSING THE FIRST VERTICAL PLANE, AND (D) EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS HAVING A PORTION OFFSET OUTWARDLY FROM THE CONTAINER TO PROVIDE A HANDLE FOR CARRYING THE CONTAINER AND ASSEMBLY. 